Madrid News

Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernandez has labeled Real Madrid’s players bad losers and animals after his club won their latest ill-tempered matchup.

Barcelona eliminated cup holder Real Madrid from the Copa del Rey quarterfinals with Wednesday’s 2-2 draw at the Camp Nou.

El Mundo newspaper’s website released Barca TV footage on Friday of Xavi caught off camera speaking about the game.

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho plans to see out his “project” at the Bernabeu and is not thinking about a return to England any time soon.

Mourinho talked about a possible return to the Premier League in a “couple of years” during a BBC interview earlier this week, but in clarifying those comments Mourinho was adamant that did not mean he was looking to leave Madrid any time soon.

As if Jose Mourinho needed any further motivation, beating rivals Barcelona on Saturday in front of an estimated global audience of 500million will take his run of consecutive victories to 16 – something no Real Madrid coach has managed before.

Yesterday the grainy images of Miguel Munoz’s team, who won 15 straight games in the 1960-61 season, were reproduced in the city’s sports papers – Munoz in shirt, tie and raincoat alongside his players wearing those whiter-than-white kits without so much as a sports brand stripe in sight, let alone a sponsor’s name.

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho will be able to count on striker Cristiano Ronaldo for his side’s potentially complicated trip to face Sporting Gijon on Saturday evening.

Ronaldo had been doubtful for the match after missing his side’s training sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday as a result of a twisted ankle that he picked up against Atletico Madrid last weekend.

Real Madrid hosts Atletico Madrid in La Liga action on Saturday with the visitors hoping to overturn a winless run against Los Blancos that has lasted over ten years.

Atletico Madrid has not beaten Real since a 3-1 victory over its storied rival in the 1999-2000 season, and if Real’s home dominance thus far in La Liga is any indication, that streak looks set continue.

Real Madrid return after the international break looking for an eighth straight league victory, although the trip to Valencia on Saturday could be the toughest test yet for Jose Mourinho’s team.

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Spain’s Socialist government fought to avert an unprecedented thrashing as campaigning opened for November 20 elections overcast by sky-high unemployment and a stalled economy.

At the stroke of midnight, Spain on Friday entered the official campaign period, almost certain to end with an overwhelming victory for the conservative opposition Popular Party.

Tens of thousands of teachers, students and parents marched through the center of Madrid Saturday to protest against cuts in education budgets. The march started from the Plaza Neptune and ended at Plaza del Sol, the symbolic middle of Spain, after passing the Plaza Cibeles and the offices of the regional education authority. More >

Barcelona and Real Madrid expect key players to be available for Spanish league play this weekend, with Andres Iniesta set to return to the Spanish champion’s squad Saturday against winless Racing Santander.

Iniesta is training again after injuring his left leg in a Champions League game against AC Milan last month and the Spain international’s return could give Barcelona a boost with Cesc Fabregas, Alexis Sanchez and Ibrahim Afellay all injured.

Barcelona is joint-top of the table with early season surprise Levante, which plays Malaga on Sunday.

A judge has ordered an investigation into Spain’s Civil Guard for irregularities in its management of a doping case involving world steeplechase champion Marta Dominguez.

Judge Mercedes Perez ruled Friday that police did not follow correct procedures in Operation Galgo, which led to Dominguez being among 14 people detained in December. She was cleared of doping and trafficking charges in July.